Watch your waste line this Christmas
Plymouth residents are being asked to watch their ‘waste line’ this Christmas and to do their bit to keep the city greener and cleaner.
With the count down for Christmas underway, the Council is asking people to think about what they buy ahead of the big day.
Councillor Michael Leaves, Cabinet member for Street Scene and the Environment said: “We’ve seen a big change to people’s shopping habits in the last few years, with more people are shopping online – particularly for electrical goods.
“We are asking people to think about how they are getting rid of the packaging it comes in, or if they are getting new electrical goods, to dispose of their old goods responsibly.”
Over the last few years there have been significant changes to Plymouth’s recycling services including the introduction of glass jar and bottle recycling into its kerbside collection. Consumer habits have also changed:
- the amount of newspaper recycled has dropped as more people switch from print to electronic media
- Paper and envelopes are also no longer seen in such amounts as more people go online to communicate or pay bills
- cardboard and packaging has increased with lots more people ordering online goods
A month ago the Council set out its commitment to increase its recycling rate as part of a review of its services.
Councillor Leaves added: “We know there are a lot of people who are doing their bit, and I’d like to thank them for their efforts. But our recycling rates have plateaued and we are renewing our efforts to encourage more people to recycle.
“We will be moving to alternate weekly collection next May to help us achieve this but there’s no time like the present to spread the recycling message.”
What you can put in your recycling bin or bag
- Cardboard – fold it so that it doesn’t take up so much room
- Glass bottles or jars – you can also take them to our bottle banks
- Plastic bottles – all sizes, including lemonade, milk, shampoo and detergent bottles
- Cards – but nothing sparkly or bows and ribbons
- Foil – from baking, as long as it is reasonably clean
- Aerosols
- Bottle tops – plastic or metal
- Paper – all types including wrapping paper but no glitter
- Cans and tins – including the large biscuit tins
- Plastic containers including the giant sweet tins
What you can’t put in
- Sparkly paper
- Polystyrene packaging
- Take away coffee cups
- If you are replacing household goods such as fridges, cookers, furniture, and computers, check out organisations that recondition and resell items or take them and small electrical items, such as kettles and hair dryers, to the recycling centres at Chelson Meadow and Weston Mill.
Other tips this Christmas:
- Take Christmas trees to Chelson Meadow or Weston Mill for composting – don’t leave them in back lanes. We are also taking a wood chipper to key locations across the city for Xmas tree recycling (see separate press release)
- Old Christmas cards can go into your recycling bin or bag.
Chelson Meadow and Weston Mill Recycling Centres will close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
As Christmas Day falls on Sunday this year and Boxing Day on Monday, refuse and recycling collections will restart on Tuesday 27 December. Bins and bags will be picked up a day later than usual.
With New Year’s Day on Sunday there will be changes to the services the following week with bins and bags picked up a day later. For more information visit www.plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 668000.
